Illinois Heat Wave: Air Conditioning Problems Lead to Rush Hospital ER Diverting Ambulances During Chicago Heat Advisory

CHICAGO (WLS) — An air conditioning problem caused a prolonged bypass at Rush University Medical Center’s emergency department during the intense heat on Monday, according to a hospital representative.

A chilled water line in the Tower building on Chicago’s West Side was temporarily inoperative Monday morning, causing a cooling failure for the building’s HVAC system and essential equipment, the representative stated.

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The water line issue, which commenced around 6 a.m., has been resolved. However, the damage resulted in a cooling delay for the building, which encompasses the ICU, the emergency department, and surgical facilities.

To ensure patient and staff safety, the emergency room was on bypass for ambulances until about 1:30 p.m., a spokesperson said.

Many surgeries scheduled for Monday were canceled, as well.

Some patients, staff and visitors to Rush felt the heat indoors.

“I couldn’t breathe. It was so hot up there. Soon as I walked in, my glasses turned foggy and everything. It was unbearable,” said Rush visitor Tommy Nigh.

Nigh went to see his daughter in the NICU.

“I couldn’t hold her or anything to that extent because it was so hot,” Nigh said.

Maintenance crews brought in air conditioners to help cools areas inside the Tower. Fans were also brought in to help cool the building.

“We will got in, first thing, it was like being in a sauna. Then, after, like, 45 minutes, you feel the cool air coming in, so it started to get better,” said Rush visitor Tony Sanchez.

Sanchez and Salvador Pedroza came to visit a friend on the top floor. Both are originally from Mexico, where, they say, they grew up with high temperatures.

“We kind of worried about the temperature, but when you have someone who is fighting for their health, I think it is secondary,” Pedroza said. “After an hour, the cool was coming on, so we were very blessed, and I think, like you and my friend were saying, in other countries, where it is like that, and over here, we are blessed, and I think they did a good job.”

Conditions in the Tower building were expected to be uncomfortable until the cooling system could fully recharge.

“Steps are being taken to keep patients and staff safe as temperatures rise,” the spokesperson said.

By midday, the chiller had been repaired and inside temperatures were improving.